Angel With a Shotgun
by Shadow of the Eye
Summary: AU. Gaara is an assassin that works for his childhood friend Naruto, the current Hokage. When he meets the ANBU commander, Neji Hyuuga, what better way to start a romance than by trying to kill each other? /NejiGaa, NaruSasu, and hints of other pairings
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: _I really shouldn't be starting a new story when I have a few others that I still haven't completed... But I've been suffering from writer's block for a long time now, and I've actually lost almost all inspiration to write. So when I came up with this idea, I couldn't let it go. Be warned that I might not finish this story either...and updates will probably take forever, if any...but this plot bunny has been bugging me for the past few weeks, and I just couldn't help but write it out and so far I'm really liking where this is taking me._

 _I've been part of the_ Naruto _fandom for a long time now, but I took a long break from it and only recently have I gotten back into it. So I am very sorry if the characters are OOC or there are plotholes and stuff. Please forgive me and my awkward writing. My stories are not beta'd lol._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I do not own_ Naruto _or any of its characters, no matter how much Gaara and Neji tempt me._

* * *

The dark chill of the night breezed through his hair, succeeding in making a bigger mess of the already unkempt mane. Having spent his entire childhood in the cold, unforgiving winds of the desert nights, he easily ignored the drop in temperature. He used the darkness to conceal himself further as he lay hidden on the rooftop of a tall skyscraper, giving him a good view of the city's layout. From his vantage point, he had been focused in on his target for the last hour under the scrutiny of his scope. What was supposed to be a five-minute job had stretched into much longer than it should have because of the man's surprise trip to the brothel. He suppressed a scowl, taking comfort in the fact that the horny bastard would soon have a bullet to the head.

 _And maybe the other head, too…if he doesn't hurry the Hell up._

Gaara felt his patience running dangerously low. It was a simple job; in and out. It should not be taking this long to eliminate a cockroach. But however much he wanted to just go in there and strangle the bastard with a condom while forcing the whore to watch, a certain blond and blue-eyed idiot kept telling him to be as discreet as possible since years in a prison cell would not be worth the satisfaction. Despite whatever little he thought of the man, it did not change the fact that his target was a very influential politician with large public support. Unbeknownst to the public's eyes, he had been secretly trafficking dangerous and highly illegal weapons from Otogakure. Not only was he directly associating with Orochimaru—one of the biggest threats in the underground world—but he was also interfering with Naruto's own business, which didn't bode well with the blond. _You have to make it look like an accident, or else everyone will be on your tail,_ he had warned him, the words ringing clear in his mind.

Try as he might, he had never been one for patience. Hence, his dilemma in the current situation. With no small amount of effort, Gaara directed his attention to his scope rather than the strangely satisfying mental images of forcing the bastard to choke on his own severed member.

While the redhead was lost in his musings, his target had finished with his…extracurricular activities, he thought with disdain, and was merely lying in bed with the woman fast asleep next to him. The man reached for something on the nightstand to his left, the tree branches outside of the room obscuring the item from his viewpoint. He leaned forward from his position, muscles tensing in anticipation as he gripped his PSG-1 tighter. The man got up from the bed and shuffled through the room, pausing only to grab a bathrobe hanging by the closet before putting it on and making his way through the balcony door and directly into his sight.

He paused, watching the man pull out the item in hand, a cigarette pack, and bring a smoke to his lips as he leaned onto the ledge of the balcony, shadowed by the limbs of the adjacent tree. _Tch, not close enough._ Finding a suitably heavy branch, he took careful aim and pulled on the trigger. The shot, silenced by a suppressor, dented the end of the branch and the noise from hitting the tree alerted the target and lured him closer to inspect the source. Two more quick shots, this time aimed right down the splitting crack, knocked the branch off the trunk. Although it wasn't as grand as his bloody fantasies, he still felt a sense of gratification as the wood collided with the man's skull, taking pleasure in the satisfying crack that followed shortly after.

He stood up from his position, shifting the rifle onto his back secured by a strap. Static ran through his body from the long hour he had laid in wait for his prey, who—he gave a quick once-over—was currently laying in a small puddle of blood and trapped under the heavy branch. He crouched down and fixed the contents in his black duffle bag, then unstrapped the rifle on his person and carefully tucked it inside. He slung the bag over his right shoulder and made sure it was secured tightly. Giving a cursory glance over the area to make sure he had covered all his tracks, he decided that he should report back with the successful mission.

Suddenly the air became heavier and his senses grew sharper. He tensed for less than a split second before his hand automatically reached for the Ruger hidden in his holster. He quickly spun around, finding the intruder's forehead against the muzzle of his gun and a knife pressed to his own throat. _Shit, did that guy have a bodyguard up his sleeve? What a useless guard then…_ He narrowed his eyes in an act of annoyance, but also in an attempt to try and make out the intruder's features. The night cloaked him well but Gaara could see dark hair framing a petite face and falling over slightly broad shoulders.

"State your name and your purpose here." The firm, masculine voice confirmed that the intruder was male. _Surprisingly,_ he snorted, _with that hair of his._

"Ladies first," he replied, instantly taking a dislike to the haughty tone of the stranger. _Looks like I hit a nerve_ , he noted as he felt the cold metal press further into his throat and narrowed his eyes as he felt it break skin, a testament to how sharp the blade was. He pressed the revolver further into the man's head, staring straight into his eyes as he pulled back the hammer, making sure that the stranger heard the audible threat.

"My apologies but I'm not a lady," the slightly taller male bit out, pressing the knife just deep enough to draw blood, "unfortunately for you, I'm not a gentleman either."

"That's a shame." He clicked his tongue in faux disappointment. "Someone should've taught you manners…or else you might end up coughing up a few bullets."

"Assuming if you can even land a shot on me?" Even in the darkness, he could see the brunet smirking and instantly bristled but quickly masked his irritation, schooling his features into indifference.

"I never said it'd be me putting holes in you…but if it's a challenge, then I don't think I can refuse…" He tightened his grip on his weapon as he felt the stranger do the same.

Three sharp, distinctive notes rang through the thick tension in the air, the familiar melody freezing them both to the spot as they realized the slight echo. Gaara stared at the stranger with wide eyes and saw that he had mirrored his expression. Both reaching into their pockets, they simultaneously answered their phones while glowering at each other, weapons still poised at the ready.

"Guys!" The panicked voice of Naruto resounded from both devices. "Stop! Stop trying to kill each other! It's all just a big misunderstanding."

The blond blew a sigh of relief when he realized that the two had paused in their attack. _Sasuke must be watching somewhere then…_ He growled at the thought of being followed by Naruto's second-in-command and came to the conclusion that he had most likely tailed him not too long ago. Otherwise, he would've been able to sense the specter if it had been any time before this asshole—he glared at the brunet—attacked him out of nowhere.

A sigh of exasperation brought him out of his thoughts. Naruto was frustrated. For once, his tone was completely serious. "Report back to me immediately and I'll explain everything." A click indicated the end of the call.

Reluctantly, the knife was pulled away from Gaara's jugular and pocketed inside the man's vest. With even more reluctance, Gaara returned his revolver to its rightful spot in his holster but his steady glare remained.

"Shall we?" The brunet bit out, obviously just as displeased at the situation as him. He turned away so that Gaara could only see his back, ready to head back to towards Naruto's office.

"Let's get this over with," he replied with equal distaste, crossing his arms over his chest and following the stranger close behind while keeping a sharp eye on him.

. o O o .

The two made their way back to the busy streets of Konoha immediately, with Gaara trying to burn holes into the back of the brunet's head, who skillfully ignored his existence completely. At first he merely assumed that the latter was a bodyguard hired by the politician, or worse, by Orochimaru, and would be no match for him. He gritted his teeth, remembering what a grave mistake it had been to underestimate the other since he was easily held at knifepoint, which put quite a dent in his ego. After all, he prided himself in being one of the best assassins money could buy, something Naruto had recognized rather quickly.

Of course, Naruto was an old childhood friend he had met more than twelve years ago when the blond was accompanying his dad on a business trip to Sunagakure. Although he had been extremely dismissive of him, Naruto was impossible to drive off once he decided that Gaara would make a great playmate, and they had become inseparable ever since. He still found himself questioning whether that was a curse or blessing. However, only a decade later, Naruto's father, the Hokage, soon passed his title onto his only child after a deal gone wrong when he was murdered in cold blood. In a determined attempt to continue his father's legacy, Naruto built up his organization with only the best of the best. Knowing that Gaara received intense training from his own father, the Kazekage, he managed to persuade the assassin to move out to Konohagakure and work under him for a while until Gaara received his rightful title as one of the Kages, the five great rulers in the underworld.

And although he was not exactly the Kazekage yet, he was still a very good mercenary, which was why this stranger should not have even gotten close to him, much less manage to make him bleed.

He glanced over to the effeminate male a few steps ahead of him, watching his dark tresses trail behind him. Just who was he to be able to sneak up on him and catch him off guard like that so easily? Despite having worked under the Hokage for a decent amount of years and dirtying his hands with cleaning up the Kazekage's enemies for even longer, he had never seen anyone like him before.

His gaze lingered on the anomaly in front of him before ridding his mind of pesky thoughts. Instead, he took in their familiar surroundings. The night was overtaken by overwhelming skyscrapers and small establishments along with gray asphalt, chipped yet firm on the ground. Despite the late hour, there was still a fair amount of people going about their business. He studied each of them for only a second before passing his attention onto the next one. Sometimes, he was able to put a name to the face, recognizing certain features from living in Konoha for the last handful of years. He sensed his company pause next to him. Tilting his head up, he looked at the tall five-story structure: a contemporary complex with steel and glass facades that allowed clear visibility from within yet shielded the interiors from any prying eyes of the public. The roof and exteriors were clad with light, natural strips of stone varying in different widths, providing a smart contrast with the dark grey metal elements of the glass.

He walked towards the entrance that was neatly placed under the large silver plaque with the words, "Rasengan Inc." chiseled into the metal. On the surface, the building was office space for a steel producing company. The steel mills were miles away, being overseen by the staff in the office. However, the mills secretly functioned as the main warehouse for the illegal goods that Naruto purchased from time to time, but also for the custom weapons that some of his operatives used, such as Gaara himself. It was their arsenal. And even though the steel company was a cover, it still made a decent amount of extra money for their organization, _The Jinchurikis_.

The moment his foot stepped close to the entrance, the sliding automatic doors granted him access to the building. In the middle of the lobby seated in the center of the receptionist desk was a young woman with blonde hair tied into a high ponytail. Without looking up from her computer screen and rapid typing, she greeted them. "Hey guys, welcome back from your mission. I assume it went well?" She drew her gaze away from her screen and paused in her typing, but the smile on her lips fell immediately after. "Gaara, what happened? Do you need me to call Sakura?"

The redhead crossed his arms over his chest. Dammit. He needed to get the cut cleaned up. But he would rather not have anyone take care of him like some defenseless child. "No."

"Are you sure? It seemed to have bled a lot…" Ino looked at him with worry shining in her blue eyes.

"Yes," he grunted, not in the mood for social interaction. Not that he ever was, really.

"Pardon us for cutting this conversation short, Ino, but we were given orders to see Naruto-sama immediately," the brunet interjected smoothly. Gaara mentally snorted at the honorific attached to their boss's name.

Ino looked taken aback, no doubt by the rare and serious command from their superior. "O-oh, of course. I won't hold you up any longer. Go right ahead."

When she had returned to her typing, the two of them made their way to the elevator. Once they got in, they punched in the certain combination of buttons to send them to the lower floors. Although the office building had five floors on top to conduct business dealing with the steel company, most of the real business was conducted in the floors underneath the building, which had been built specifically for the purpose of keeping secretive information secretive. The lower levels consisted of offices and even rooms dedicated to the operatives, and the levels were mainly divided up by the ranks of the operatives in ascending order: genin, chuunin, jonin, and the Anbu, but the members of the last group are rarely ever seen because they operate specifically for the Kage. The lower the level, the higher the rank. Gaara, although fully capable of being a part of the elite force, was not technically an Anbu because he was to be Kage of Sunagakure. The Hokage's office was located on the lowest level.

The elevator doors opened with a small chime and led them right in front of the main door. Gaara shoved his hands inside the pockets of his black hooded army jacket and approached the metal door. His companion politely knocked twice. The doors slid open with ease and the two walked towards the wooden desk littered with paper and folders, some even settling on the floor, seemingly forgotten. _Naruto hasn't changed a bit, it seems,_ he noted with slight amusement _._ Sasuke was standing to the right, mirroring Gaara's pose. He greeted them both with a slight nod and received a mild glare from the sniper. It seems that they had been beaten here.

Naruto, who had been immersed in his paperwork, paused for a second before scratching something out and scribbling a few words on top of the inked mess. Chewing on the end of the pen thoughtfully, he stared at it before smiling and putting his utensil down. He then shifted his gaze to the two persons in front of him, lips pulling into a mischievous grin. "Hey guys. What's up?"

The other bowed deeply beside him. "Naruto-sama." Hearing the snort from Gaara, he straightened his posture and narrowed his eyes, challenging him to say something. Gaara met his glare dead on.

Now, in the light of the office, he could see his companion's features much more clearly. Long, dark chocolate hair framed his delicate face and reached down to the man's lower back, his bangs covering the white warrior's band wrapped around his forehead. It made his smooth, porcelain skin look paler than it already did, especially when he was clad in a dark grey vest over an obsidian shaded long-sleeved shirt, complete with the same colored jeans. His eyes were the most interesting part of him, a pair of milky colored opals that were tinted lilac at the edges. He looked even more feminine than Gaara had originally thought.

"Guys, you just got here. Try not to kill each other again," Naruto chastised, looking at them with weariness. "You two already look like you went to a funeral, anyway. I thought I told you to dress casual for this mission." His sapphire eyes traveled up and down their outfits, frowning at the abundance of somber hues.

"It's not their fault that you dress as if you're colorblind, idiot," Sasuke huffed at Naruto's own choice in clothing, bright orange staining his jacket and sweatpants with stripes of white on the side.

Naruto growled, pointing an accusing finger at the Uchiha. "Who asked you, asshole? Anyway…" He leaned forward in his chair. "How did the mission go?"

"An accident, just like you said. Everything went smoothly," Gaara replied, then nodded towards his left. "Until this asshole showed up. Care to explain…?"

He already gathered from the small conversation with Ino that she was under the impression of them returning from having gone on the same mission together; she was the receptionist, she had to keep tabs on anyone and everyone, including who went on what missions. No one could go past the lobby without getting past the blonde. He had also realized that the similar cellular device and ringtone the other carried meant that he was part of _The Jinchurikis_ since each operative received the same device, made by Shino specifically for missions and communication between members of the organization since it was difficult to track down or hack into their own personal network system.

Naruto grinned while sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… About that…aha… You see um… Er… Aheh…"

"He fucked up." Sasuke's deadpan tone and brutal honesty sent Naruto's forehead colliding onto the desk.

"Sasuke! You didn't have to say it like that," he practically whined, looking back at his assistant with what Gaara could only consider as a pout.

"What? It's the truth," he scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "He forgot to inform you two that you were supposed to work together on this mission."

Gaara felt his right eye twitch.

"Aha… Neji, meet Shukaku, my best sniper," Naruto grinned widely, gesturing to his old childhood friend. He felt a small surge of pride when he saw that 'Neji' had slightly widened his eyes in recognition. "Shukaku, meet Neji, my top officer, the Anbu commander."

 _Anbu commander…_ He had been told by his father that the Anbu were a select group of hired mercenaries that were trained specifically under each Kage. To be commander meant to be beyond mundane levels since it took much skill and power to lead more than a dozen killers, along with being able to serve as a third-in-command, right under the Kage's assistant. It was no longer a mystery as to why this…'Neji'…had been able to challenge him as he did.

"I had an emergency job that needed to be taken care of as soon as possible and the target was too dangerous for anyone but an Anbu to take on. Since all of my Anbus were preoccupied with their own missions, Neji was the only one that was free since he just got back from his solo-mission a few hours ago, and in a rush to relay the emergency, I forgot to tell him about you being his partner and all…" Naruto explained and then folded his arms. "It wasn't until half an hour after Neji left that Shikamaru came in and told me he gave you the info for the mission a while ago and you were already at the site, but he realized he forgot to tell you that it wasn't a solo-mission."

Gaara resisted the urge to sigh. Shikamaru's version of giving him the information had been texting him to come to his office to get something on his desk. When he had, he found the lazy tactician asleep in his chair, not even trying to be discreet about his sleeping on the job. He ignored it since he was easily able to snatch the mission report from the desk without needing to wake up the pineapple head for details.

"Naruto told me to follow you right after we remembered that both of you were clueless about each other to ensure both your safeties. I made it in time just to see you guys at each other's throats, Neji a bit more literally." The edges of Sasuke's lips curled in a smirk as he regarded them in amusement.

The sniper pressed his lips in a tight frown. But before he could even get a word in edgewise, Neji cut in as an attempt to quell the oncoming verbal assault. "My apologies, Shukaku-san. I had merely assumed that you were part of another organization that was a threat to my mission."

He studied the Anbu for a few seconds, who looked none too apologetic. In fact, he even looked rather uncomfortable with having to be polite to him.

"Well, now that we have everything sorted out," Naruto started, sensing Gaara's temper rising, "you both should go and get some rest. It's been a long few weeks for you, Neji. You need it."

The commander bowed lowly in respect and gratitude. "Thank you, Naruto-sama. Good night to you, and Sasuke." He nodded to the Uchiha who returned the gesture. Then he turned and looked at Gaara who met his cold stare. He frowned for a second before turning his back towards him and leaving the office.

Gaara's gaze didn't leave the door until Naruto followed his line of sight and coughed into his fist. "Uh, Gaara? You alright?"

"Hn… Yeah…" he replied, not even looking back at his boss. "Night," he mumbled, not one for many words, before taking his own leave from the office.

Once the doors closed with a quiet hiss, Naruto leaned back against his chair and watched while Sasuke returned to his personal desk, a smaller replica of his own, except much neater and organized. "So. That went well."

A sneer. "That's your definition of 'well'? They nearly killed each other."

A wide grin and a shrug. "Hey, I think Shikamaru's a genius. And I'll have to give props to Lee next time for suggesting the idea in the first place. Their plan went off without a hitch! Gaara and Neji didn't even suspect a thing."

"Yeah, great, except for the part where they want each other dead now."

"Aww, Sasuke, you take the fun out of everything, y'know that?"

* * *

 _Sorry all of that was really awkward. I was trying to explain a lot of stuff in this AU, but if it still doesn't really make sense then just wait for future chapters, where I can hopefully explain things more thoroughly. I just want to point out that this is AU, meaning alternate universe, meaning that I will twist and bend a lot of_ Naruto _canon in order to fit this plot/universe. So they will not follow the original or represent the original in any way._ _For example, Naruto became a Kage before Gaara, which does not follow the original storyline._ _Bear with me._

 _Also, I know pretty much every NejiGaa story has the same image but it's just too awsome that I couldn't resist using it. And it's also how I pictured them while writing this. So yeah._

 _But for now, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Thank you for reading. Criticism is much appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: _Sorry it's taken a while to update. I'm still very much interested in this story-however, I'm kind of hitting a small writer's block. And school and just life in general is getting too chaotic for words. But I will update sooner or later. It just generally won't be very quick. I'm hoping that winter break will enough time for me to get some inspiration back._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _Do not own._

* * *

Gaara carefully closed the door behind him as he entered the dark apartment, hanging his keys onto the small rack holder on the nearest wall while simultaneously taking off his shoes. He noted that both of his siblings' keys rested on their respective hooks. As he slowly made his way to the kitchen, he saw the large frame of his brother draped all over the living room sofa, staring at the TV with little interest, the only light shining in the whole apartment.

Noticing the shuffling, Kankuro lifted his head up towards the sound. "Look who's finally home. Welcome back."

He grabbed the remote and lowered the volume, knowing that Gaara liked peace and quiet, especially when he was in a bad mood. He took in the stiffened shoulders and the small frown between his little brother's forehead as he gravitated towards the freezer. Yep. He was in a bad mood. With a sigh, he got up from the couch and joined the raging teen in the kitchen, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. He noticed how Gaara's posture stiffened even more when he paused in his rampage through the unorganized mess of icy goodness. _Guess we ran out of ice cream…_

"There's leftover pizza, if you want. Temari didn't feel like cooking today," he supplied, watching as the redhead disappeared while rummaging through the fridge, then reappear with two slices of pizza on a plate. "She's in her room right now, finishing some last minute details on some mission plan due tomorrow morning." He made a face and glanced at the clock on the side of the wall. "Well, today, technically speaking."

His brother grunted as a sign that he heard him and joined him at the bar, already shoving half a slice into his mouth, not bothering to reheat the pizza. Kankuro examined him for a while and felt his breath hitch in his throat as he saw dried blood on his brother's throat. _Someone had hurt Gaara? How?_ He sat there silently, trying to think of what to say and how to choose his words carefully. In the end, all he could manage was, "Bad day?"

He received another grunt as the glutton made his way through the first slice and was already on his second. Convinced that he was not going to get any words from him, the older Sand sibling hopped off the stool and went to fetch two cups from the upper cabinets. He could feel Gaara's cool gaze on him as he took out the gallon of milk from the fridge and poured the two cups to the brim. Placing a mug in front of Gaara's plate and then the other in front of where he was just sitting, he turned away towards the top of the fridge and came back with a box of cookies.

It was an unsaid tradition in the Sabaku home that whenever one of them was feeling down or—God forbid—Hell-blazing pissed, sweets were the answer to everything. Even though their father was a constant presence in their childhood, he was never really there for any more than a few interactions in meetings held with the Kazekage's council, which they had to be present for since they were the successors to the business. As such, the burden of being the responsible one fell on Temari's shoulders. Although she did her best to keep the family safe and well, they were never really great at communicating with each other despite growing up together. The fact that they had nothing in common didn't help the awkwardness, until one day Temari decided to bring home some ice cream to share with her brothers after a particularly bad fight with Kankuro, and from there they found that even if they shared nothing but the same blood, at least they all shared a sweet tooth. The tension between them only lessened after they had met Naruto, who was surprised that the three of them were siblings since he felt as if they acted like they didn't exist to each other, and decided to bring them together. His childish antics had worked, a shock to all of them, even though they were grateful. But their sweet tooth tradition still prevailed through the years.

And although ice cream was usually the best remedy, he looked at Gaara childishly dipping a chocolate chip cookie into the milk before munching on it, and decided that it was more than good enough.

He took a small sip of milk from his own mug and headed back towards the cabinets, this time opening a lower drawer where they kept all the miscellaneous items. Finding just what he needed, he took his seat right beside Gaara, who was happily munching on his cookies, and placed the kit on the bar.

The brunet felt the corners of his lips twitch into a small smile as he ate his fair share of the treat. The only sound throughout the apartment was the soft buzz of the TV and their hungry appetites. After a while, they both finished and sat there content in the silence.

"Do you need help cleaning that?" Kankuro's deep voice cut through the serenity.

Even without any context, Gaara figured he knew what his brother was asking, his eyes darting over to the item Kankuro had retrieved. He bit the inside of his cheek, mulling over the question for a while before nodding slightly. As much as he disliked being treated as a child, he supposed that Kankuro was only trying his best to be an older brother tonight. And he could indulge him. Just this once.

Kankuro gave him a small smile and turned on one of the lamps hanging over the breakfast table. When he could see the blood more clearly, his face must've betrayed his shock because Gaara mumbled, "It looks worse than it is…"

With a sigh, Kankuro grabbed the item, a first-aid kit, and laid out the contents in front of him. Temari was always fussing about them whenever they so much as got a scratch—from anyone but her, they mused—and always kept a medical kit handy in the kitchen. He ripped an alcohol wipe out of its tiny package, leaning forward to clean the dried blood on Gaara's neck.

"It was from some asshole…" the redhead supplied helpfully, knowing the numerous questions burning inside his brother's mind.

Kankuro sneered, "Really?" but kept his eyes and hands steady on his task.

"Y-yeah," Gaara mildly flinched as the alcohol directly touched the cut, "apparently, he was my partner for the mission. But Naruto and Shikamaru failed to mention that to the both of us."

Kankuro hummed in thought. That explained the redhead's ticked off mood. "So since you guys didn't know, you tried to kill each other?" he smirked, the scene playing a bit too vividly in his mind. Was it disturbing that he could easily picture it?

"I would've done it, if Naruto didn't interrupt." Gaara crossed his arms in frustration as Kankuro took out another wipe. "He had Sasuke follow us."

"Ouch," the brunet laughed.

"He was such an uptight prick too," he grumbled under his breath, and had Kankuro not been paying close attention he would've missed those words.

"This guy's got you wound up pretty bad, huh?" He shot his little brother a smirk.

"It's infuriating," he deadpanned, and Kankuro guessed that his pride was more than wounded. After all, barely anyone had been able to scratch Gaara for a long time, especially on a mission.

"Must've been some guy." It was hard to envision anyone able to hold out against the Shukaku, except for maybe Naruto, the Kyuubi himself.

"…he doesn't even look like one…" he darkly muttered, which had Kankuro burst out laughing.

"Well," Kankuro gathered up the used wipes and closed the kit, "I finished disinfecting the cut. I doubt you want a band-aid." Gaara shook his head, a band-aid would just mean drawing more attention to it and adding salt to the wound. "Alright. Just don't let Temari know. She might have a fit."

He nodded and watched as Kankuro put the kit back into place and then resumed his spot on the sofa, eyes lazily staring at the glowing screen again. Gaara sat on the stool for a few minutes before turning off the lamp since they both preferred the darkness and then made his way to the fridge once more to pour another cup of milk.

He walked over to the coffee table and placed the drink right in front of his brother. Biting his lip, he mumbled, "Thanks," feeling oddly out of his element.

Kankuro felt his eyes widen and opened his mouth in shock, then grinned and replied, "Anytime, lil' bro."

He received a nod from the redhead, who then retreated into the solace of his room.

Dark beige walls greeted him as he opened the door and dropped his duffle bag on the ground next to the side of his bed. It felt good to be home. But it also felt as if all the fatigue and stress had hit him at that instant, weighing down heavily on his shoulders. Running his fingers through his ragged hair, he decided that a shower would have to wait 'til morning. He was too exhausted to care about personal hygiene at the moment. He made his way to his bed and sat against the wall, noticing that the moon looked especially pale tonight and casted an ethereal glow through his window and into his room.

It vaguely reminded him of a familiar pair of lilac opals.

With a scowl, he turned away from the night sky and plopped his head on the pillow instead, stretching out across the bed. He knew tonight was not one of the rare nights where his insomnia would let him go for a few hours. But even though he rarely needed to sleep, he still needed rest once in a while in order to function properly. Which resulted in a lot of staring contests. With the ceiling.

He had already counted the number of tiles, spots, patterns, and whatever he could find the first few months since he moved to Konoha and into this apartment with his siblings. And his boss left him nothing to work on for tonight since the mission was fairly straightforward, and Sasuke had been there for the important parts anyway. He shifted a bit against his mattress. In short, Sabaku no Gaara, one of the deadliest assassins to walk the Earth, was bored.

He turned towards the clock on his desk. Red digital numbers glared at him. _4:36 A.M._ He didn't have to report in tomorrow until eleven in the morning and his siblings usually woke around 9:30.

This was going to be a long night.

. o O o .

"I'm home," he softly called while putting away his shoes as he entered the home he shared with Hinata. They had insisted on moving out together from the Hyuuga mansion in order to attract less suspicion from their line of work, and also because they wanted a small taste of freedom away from his controlling uncle, him moreso than his shy cousin.

"Welcome home, Neji-nii-san," Hinata's bell-like voice greeted him from the kitchen.

He hung his vest on the coatrack before joining her, where he saw her already pouring a cup of hot tea for him. He took a seat at the dining table, watching her elegant figure glide across the room.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama." He blew on the drink before taking a sip. "You are much too kind."

She pulled up the chair across from him. "Not at all, Neji-nii-san."

"You didn't have to wait up on me. Your health is more important." Despite his words, he knew that it was impossible for her to fall asleep before he went home from a mission. She was a tender girl at heart who wouldn't be able to stop worrying about him, despite proving himself capable many times over and more.

"I…can't sleep without knowing you're safe…" she mumbled, looking down at the table in hopes of hiding the slight pink dusting both her cheeks.

"Hinata-sama…I appreciate your concern…but it is my duty to ensure your safety," he smiled slightly, "not the other way around."

The pink grew darker at his words. "I-I suppose so…" He knew she wasn't entirely convinced, but he could let it go. For now. "S-so um… H-how did your missions go?"

To anyone else, Neji did not seem fazed by the question. "Good," he answered in a clipped tone. To Hinata, she could feel the air around her dear cousin darken considerably at the question, even if his exterior betrayed nothing.

"O-oh, is that so…?" She tilted her head to the side, scrutinizing his every move.

"Yes, Hinata-sama." On the outside, Neji seemed too absorbed in drinking his tea to notice. But she knew that he knew she didn't fall for his indifference.

"Would you like another cup of tea?" she offered politely, deciding that she just had to be patient with him, as she always had.

"Yes, please." Neji handed her his cup.

She made her way back to the stove, dark indigo hair trailing behind her. The brunet folded his hands in front of him. Now Hinata was more than concerned. Although he used to hate how she twiddled with her fingers when she was nervous, she knew that he had the same urge to play with his hands whenever his own emotions were in turmoil, and only folded his hands to avoid the bad habit.

"Neji-nii-san…" She placed his tea in front of him, sitting back down. "Is something the matter…?"

"There's nothing to worry about," he tried reassuring her. "You should focus more on your own mission tomorrow."

Hinata frowned. Now he was just trying to avoid the subject. "What happened on the mission…?" she tried again. "I've been waiting for you to come home for a while now, after Naruto-kun sent you on that long mission by yourself… Indulge me a little?" She smiled gently and he couldn't help but release a small sigh.

"If that is what you wish, Hinata-sama," Neji resigned, sighing into his cup of tea. "On the first mission, it took about a week to complete since the target was constantly on the move; he was suspicious and cautious, which made it that much harder to get closer to him. You already know that he was stealing from Naruto-sama's funds." The girl nodded, remembering the loud outbursts of their boss's anger after finding out that a generous chunk of his money from one of his bank accounts was missing. "Not only did Naruto-sama want me to retrieve it by hacking into his system, but he also wanted me to find the money he stole from two other Kages, which he kept at different locations. And that made it more of a hassle than it had to be."

"I see… The mission was a success after that?" she asked while pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Of course, Hinata-sama." Neji smiled. "I don't accept failure."

She giggled softly, knowing what a perfectionist her cousin could be. "Yes, Neji-nii-san. And what about the other mission?"

For a moment he didn't say anything, and Hinata couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. Something about him had seemed…off…this evening. Was it something that happened on the mission? She watched as he stared at his tea, lips pressed in a tight frown. "…The mission was a success… I didn't take much part in it, however."

Her brows knitted in confusion. "What does Neji-nii-san mean?"

"I supposedly had a partner, but Naruto-sama had forgotten to mention that part. When I got to the client's location, there was another who had already eliminated him. Naturally, I assumed that he was a part of the Akatsuki or even one of Orochimaru's subordinates. I was close to killing him before…" his eyebrows furrowed in frustration, "he held a gun to my head…"

She shifted in her chair, knowing that danger came naturally with the jobs they held, but it didn't make her feel any better when Neji was closer to death than she was every day. However, she knew that he didn't like it when she fussed over him. "I…I am glad that you are alright now, Neji-nii-san…"

He looked up at her and offered her a smile, knowing how uncomfortable she got whenever she worried for his safety. "It's quite alright, Hinata-sama. If I was not used to those situations, then I wouldn't be fit for the position." His smile fell off. "What…troubles me is…that man…" he admitted, though begrudgingly.

"Oh? Who was he?" Her curiosity peaked. It was rare for Neji to show interest in anyone as he treated everyone with the same apathy, much less be this bothered by someone.

"…The Shukaku."

Hinata gasped. "The sniper? Neji, are you sure you're alright?" In her shock, she didn't realize that she dropped the honorific. Neji had faced off with the legendary mercenary, infamous for his skill and ruthless nature? He was known throughout the underworld for his violent and unorthodox methods, and was feared for singlehandedly taking out some of the most dangerous criminals.

"Yes, I'm more than alright, Hinata-sama." If Hinata didn't know any better than she'd say Neji was smirking now. "I hurt him more than he did me."

"I see… As expected, from the Hyuuga prodigy… I'm glad you're safe, Neji-nii-san," she admitted and sighed in relief. Then something clicked. "But… You said… Partner? Does that mean the Shukaku is part of _The Jinchuurikis_?"

"It would seem so."

Hinata nodded, then stifled a yawn she couldn't hold back. Neji took both their cups and brought them to the sink. "Hinata-sama, it's awfully late. You should sleep now."

She looked as if she was about to protest, then paused and decided against it. "Alright, Neji-nii-san… Good night." She smiled before heading back to her room just around the corner.

"Good night, Hinata-sama," he softly replied. He washed the cups and tidied up the living room before returning to his own room, right next to his dear cousin's.

Light blue walls greeted him, and although they had moved out from their old mansion, most of the house still resembled parts of it, especially the Japanese interior. His room looked more like a study room, save for the bed. He sat on a chair in front of his work desk, pulling out a folder and grabbing the last mission report and all of its related files. When he came back from the long week, he barely had time to even have a drink of water before Naruto dragged him into his office for his most recent mission. Thus, he didn't have time to write up the long summary and details for the solo-mission.

A soft melody of chimes brought his attention to the window, where a gentle breeze escaped and played with the delicate aquamarine wind chime Hinata had gotten him for his birthday. The moon was especially beautiful tonight, he noted with a soft smile, and the blue crystals sparkled as the moonlight danced with them.

It vaguely reminded him of a familiar pair of light aquamarine eyes.

Annoyed with his suddenly poor attention span, he shifted his gaze back to the papers. He rested his head on his hand as he started filling out the form, exhaustion wearing down on him. He figured that the report would take him a couple hours to finish along with all the extra paperwork that came with it, and was somewhat glad that Naruto decided to have him come in at noon tomorrow, rather than his usual 9:00 in the morning. At least he would be able to get some rest. Hinata would leave for her mission at the usual time, and he wanted to see her off.

He couldn't help but smile a little. _And to think that I used to be such a brat towards her…_ His eyes landed on an old picture standing at the edge of his desk. A younger Hinata was smiling directly at the camera, with a light blush on her cheeks and hands clasped in front of her. Her sister, Hanabi, stood to her right and grinning cheekily with a hand on her hip. He himself stood to Hinata's left, a frown adorning his face as he folded his arms across his chest, eyes closed in frustration. Hiashi, the girls' father, had his arms wrapped around all three of them as he looked at the camera with a proud smile.

 _I should replace the photo soon,_ he idly thought, then looked back at his work in front of him.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 _That was horribly cheesy. Forgive me._

 _Thank you blaze (Guest) for reviewing. Thank you Alice2013, aprilford988, 18, Bl00dy-Velvet, and Neko Chibi Naru for favoriting this story. Thank you Sakurazu Sayo, Alice2013, VampireDoll666, TheNoodleSnake, aprilford988, 18, KrazynKuki, doomedpassion, Papasbookworm, Neko Chibi Naru, and kittylove12 for following this story._

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